The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1887-06-01

the one grand passion Of his life. Still
he hesitated, not daring to speak. But Sc
strong grew the emotion it overpowered
him at length.
"God knows feel nv unworthiness, =
he said, +" but love you, Barbara, and
want you for my wife. said these same
words to you 10 years ago and aailed you.
Twas only a weak boy then, swayed about
by designing woman. Now | am a
man, knowing my own heart, and with
all its intense pent-up passion it cries out
for YOU
For a moment Barbaras face seemed
glorified with light Her cheeks gIowed,
her eyes enlarged, her breast heaved. She
] put both her hands in his
| have never been content without
you-not for one moment" she said
Nothing filed my life so full that did
not feel the need of you, Howard"
Their marriage was set for three months
later. And they were to be married in
the village church by the old family rec
tor. The little church was crowded when
the night came. All in sheen of white
Barbara stood before the altar and felt
her hand by the man who had discarded
her nine years before.
Wilt thou, Barbara, take this man to
be thy welded husband, for better for
worse, in sickness and in health, through
good report and evil report, till death do
part?"
The old rector waited for the response.
Ii caIpe ike the report of a pistol.
g Never As he once rejected me, so
now do / reject him.
And she swept down the aisle, whittier
than her robes, and left paIsied crowd
of people staring blankly after her.
Very calmly and very coldIy Howard
Snow passed down and out of the
church. Before midnight he WAS raving
in delirium. The next morning they
found him in high fever, calling wildly
on the name of Barbara and cursing some
woman he called Helen, who seemed
pursuing him.
" He cannot live" the doctor said, the
next evening. "Will some one go and
ask the woman who has done this cruel
deed to come here for moment? The
sight Of her may quiet him, perhaps"
But while he spoke she came in, her
bridal white exchanged for funeral black,
her long hair falling loose about her She
glided to the bedside and put her hands
on his face
Howard" She called, in trembling
voice; oh, my love, Howard, forgive me
ere you die
But he faneied she was the woman
Helen, and shrieked and cursed her, and
grew so violent that they sent her from
the room.
There Was week OF wild delirium, and
then a week of stupor and then" He is
dead they said, and the word was ear
ried to her. Like pale wrath of her
former self, she came slowly in and knelt
Vt-Sftt llih- Siie put utt MaS'cu tticth
beside him on the pillow, and the tears
that!had refused 10 rise fell slowly down,
s.she said
Oh, thought revenge was sweet, but
il is bitter, bitter, my love"
How long she knelt there she did not
know, but suddenly she was startled by
sigh, very ghost ofa sigh, is seemed to
her She put her hand over the heart
she had believed stilled forever 1t flut-
tered feebly.
oh, thank God she cried, and fell |
unconscious
An hour later she found herself in bed
and kindly cared for and smiling faces
all about her
He liyesl J" they said Your touch !
brought him back from the very shores
of death"
A few weeks later pallid bride and
still more pallid groom passed down the
old church aisle and out into the great
world.
Somewhere they dwell to-day-happy,
let as hope, since they have both so suf-
fered in the past.